


Gray Hairs

by evilwriter37



Series: Comfortember 2020 [10]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:41:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27641560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evilwriter37/pseuds/evilwriter37
Summary: Thranduil notices that Bard is aging, and wants to find a way to put a stop to it.
Relationships: Bard the Bowman/Thranduil
Series: Comfortember 2020 [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2008639
Comments: 3
Kudos: 48





	Gray Hairs

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: protective

Thranduil was so engrossed in his work that he didn’t hear Bard walk into his study. He only turned when he heard him clear his throat.

“What’s all this?” Bard asked as Thranduil gracefully turned to him. He stepped over to Thranduil, put a hand on the back of his chair, looking at the books that he had spread out on the table. Bard knew how to read a little Sindarin now, but Thranduil didn’t think he knew enough to piece together what he was doing.

“Nothing,” Thranduil answered. He marked one of the books with a strip of paper and closed it. He stood and faced Bard, took him by the waist. “Dinner?” he asked. 

Bard kissed Thranduil on the mouth. “ _ After  _ you tell me what you’re doing. You’ve been in here all day.”

Thranduil pulled some hair out of Bard’s eyes and put it behind his ear. It was gray. The human had already had gray in his hair prior to meeting Thranduil, but this piece of silver was new. Thranduil wished he could love it like the rest of Bard, but he just couldn’t. It showed the passing of age, the face that Bard would not always be with him. Thranduil had known the dangers of falling in love with a human, but he hadn’t been able to help himself. If his heart broke and he died for this man, then so be it. 

“Just studying something,” Thranduil answered. He didn’t want to tell Bard what he was doing until he found what he was looking for… if he ever did find it. 

“And that is…?” Bard prompted.

“Never mind that.” Thranduil took Bard’s hand. “Come. Let’s go have dinner.”

  
  


They were given their usual looks as they walked through the woodland palace. People had disapproved of Thranduil taking a human man as his lover. Those that did approve though, looked sad. Everyone could see that Bard was aging, and maybe Bard knew too, but he never brought it up. The silver in his hair and the lines on his face were a stark contrast from the agelessness of Thranduil. Thranduil held his hand a little tighter. Bard looked at him in question, but didn’t ask him why. 

Bard said nothing about Thranduil’s studies over dinner, and by the time they were getting ready for bed, Thranduil figured Bard had decided to forget about it. Until, propped up on the bed on one elbow, watching Thranduil comb his hair, he asked: “What was all that earlier?”

“All of what?” Thranduil wanted to play dumb for the moment, acting like he’d forgotten. 

“The books.”

Thranduil lowered his comb and sighed, staring at himself in the mirror. He’d never wanted to age before, but oh, how he did now. He wished there were lines on his face to match Bard’s. 

“I’m researching something,” he said honestly. “To help you.”

“Help me?” Bard seemed quite confused. “Help me with what? I’m not ailing.”

“But you are.” Thranduil put the comb down on the dresser and turned to Bard. “Age is taking you.”

“Well, yes, I’m a man.” Bard was acting like this was perfectly fine. Thranduil didn’t like that. He glided over to the bed. 

“But that means you won’t be with me forever.” Thranduil sat on the edge of the bed, reached for Bard’s hand. There was still strength in those hands despite the grays in his dark hair. 

“And then you shall find someone else,” Bard said. “You’ve done it before.”

Thranduil shook his head. “But I don’t  _ want  _ to do it again.” He sighed, looked away from Bard. He spoke his next words quietly. “Did you know… that heartbreak can kill an elf?”

Bard instantly sat up at that. “What?”

“Yes,” Thranduil answered, voice still quiet. “I’m surprised it didn’t happen with my wife, but I fear it will happen with you.”

“Then… then what are you researching?”

Thranduil looked at Bard, put a hand to his cheek. “How to make one immortal,” he said. “I would go to the ends of this Middle Earth for you, my bowman. I would go into a dragon’s nest for you, or the fires of Mount Doom, if I had to.”

“Thranduil…” Bard didn’t seem to know what to say. Thranduil didn’t either. So, instead of speaking, they kissed. After years, Thranduil was familiar with these lips, with the scratch of the beard against his face. He loved it, because it was Bard. Even his beard was graying though, and all of this made Thranduil terribly sad. Bard would not be here forever, and that might even kill Thranduil when he no longer had an heir to watch upon the Woodland Realm. 

Once the kiss was over, they pressed their foreheads together. Bard squeezed Thranduil’s hand. 

“You don’t have to do any of this for me,” Bard said. 

“I must,” Thranduil told him. “I’m trying to protect you.”

“But you have protected me.” Bard pulled his forehead away. “You’ve protected me and my people, and I cannot ask for more.”

“Let me do this one thing,” Thranduil said. “Let me continue searching. And if I do not find anything, I will forget about it.” That was difficult to say. He certainly didn’t want to forget about. He knew he’d love Bard forever, whether he was here or passed into death, and he would rather have him be here. 

Bard gave him a small smile. “Alright. Just, do not lose yourself in it. You still have a kingdom to run.”

“I promise I will not,” Thranduil told him, though, he couldn’t be entirely sure. For now, he would be happy for the time he had with Bard.

Their lips pressed together in a kiss.


End file.
